Abstract

Sense of belonging in the campus community has been identified as a critical factor in persistence and retention in college students. This study aimed to examine sense of belonging in physical education (PE) and recreation, park & nonprofit administration (RPNA) undergraduate students. A 34-item survey consisting of six categories was used to collect data. Findings revealed that (a) PE majors had greater peer support, felt more comfortable in the classroom and less isolated in the learning environment, thought the extracurricular activities and bulletin board information were more helpful, and experienced a greater overall sense of belonging than RPNA majors, (b) freshmen and seniors experienced a greater sense of belonging than sophomores, (c) seniors reported greater peer support than sophomores, (d) sophomores felt less comfortable in the classroom than everyone else, (e) sophomores felt more isolated than freshmen and seniors, and (f) nontransfer students felt the information on the bulletin board made them feel more connected to their peers of the same major than transfer students. Results suggested that college students regardless of major, classification and transfer status could benefit from additional in- and out-of-class activities, caring and compassionate demeanor from faculty members, and better use of the bulletin board to direct attention to their classmates, events, and news.

Keywords

Kinesiology, Peer Support, Faculty Support, Extracurricular Activity, Bulletin Board,

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